Nutritionist License and Certification Requirements in Tennessee

The right type as well as quantity of nutrition allows one to enjoy life and lead it with a positive outlook. Nutritionists and dietitians have the ability to assess and evaluate individuals’ nutritional needs according to their health conditions as well as lifestyle.

The appropriate amount of nutrients might allow people to remain young and it also helps body to function at an optimum level. It detoxifies the body, prevents it from any kind of stress and reduces the amount of toxins produced.

The right amount of nutrition provides one with the optimum amount of energy needed that allows one to perform all the tasks. It also increases stamina and the ability to concentrate on activities that need to be performed without getting tired. A nutritionist advises on how to be physically fit and lead a long and healthy life.

Licensure for Dietitians and Nutritionists in Tennessee

Under the supervision of the Department of Health in Tennessee, the Board of Dietitian/Nutritionist Examiners issues licensure for practicing in this field.

Qualifications Required for Licensure

Gaining Dietitian/Nutritionist Licensed Through Examination

One must have completed a baccalaureate or post baccalaureate education program from a regionally accredited college or university in programs as:

Food Systems Management

Dietetics

Human Nutrition

Food and Nutrition

One can also be eligible to apply if he/she has earned an equivalent degree of another title with similar curriculum.

Dietetic Internship

An applicant has to have completed supervised pre-professional work experience of at least 900 hours. The supervisor has to be registered dietitian or one can fulfill the supervised practicum requirement according to the criteria set by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association.

Licensed through Reciprocity for Dietitian/Nutritionist

The board can issue licensure if one has completed all the licensure requirements in another state of equivalent stringency as it is in Tennessee. One has to meet these requirements in order to gain nutritionist certification in Tennessee. The applicant also has to prove his/her ethicality and moral character.

Application Fee

One is required to pay an initial fee of $75.

In the case reciprocity one has to pay an endorsement or verification fee of $20.

One has to pay the license issuance fee of $55.

All forms of checks or money orders could be given to the Board of Dietitian/Nutritionist Examiners Tennessee.

Examination Requirements

The board requires one to successfully have passed the registration examination for dietitians offered by the CDR or successor examinations.

The CDR will determine the criteria to pass the examination for dietetic registration.

Registration and exam fee has to be paid to the CDR.

Proof of passing this exam has to be provided with the initial application to the board.

The only acceptable evidence of proof will be a current valid card issued by the CDR.

Dietetic/Nutrition Educational Program Provisions in Tennessee

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville provides various degree programs in dietetics. The most comprehensive degree program is a master’s in sciences in Cellular and Molecular Nutrition. This degree program concentrates on areas of study such as:

Metabolic pathways

Nutrient interactions

Dietary factors

Disease processes

Courses required in the program include:

Nutrition class focused on community nutrition

Carbohydrate, Lipid and Protein Metabolism

Vitamin and Mineral Metabolism

This program has accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This program also has the criteria of completing an Internship.

Employment Facts for Dietitians and Nutritionists in Tennessee

There were 1,060 full-time jobs for nutritionists professionals and dietitians in the state of Tennessee in 2011. They earned an annual mean income of $49,870 in the same year which translates to an hourly rate of $23.98 (BLS).

Logan is a non-profit university founded in 1935. Logan University has remained grounded in chiropractic education, while continuously enriching academic options with degree offerings in health sciences since 2012.